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Richard Shafer presently serves as the executive director of Well and Good LLC, a Madison, Wisconsin-based provider of investment advice to retirement plan fiduciaries. Richard Shafer previously worked for CUNA Mutual Group, also headquartered in Madison, as director of retirement plan solutions. Prior to his work with retirement plans in Madison, as a leader in disclosure and transparency of products made available to plans operating under code section 403(b)in California, he helped to develop the award-winning website 403bcompare.com.

At 403bcompare.com, employees of California’s public schools and community colleges can easily find and compare retirement products. That is because, in order to make a product available in California public education, vendors (annuity or mutual fund companies) must register with the site. Information not duly registered, such as a sales charge or withdrawal penalty, cannot be enforced.

Participants may access 403(b) product information across five main areas of the website. Under My Employer, individuals can select their current employer and view all approved product vendors. Using the My Compare page, website visitors can tag various vendors and products in order to obtain and compare current information. With Product Search, a specific product name can be entered in order to bring up more detailed information. Similarly, the Browse Vendor function allows users to research their vendor of choice. Finally, the Education section of 403bcompare.com offers general information about retirement planning and effective saving strategies.